CAIA Level I - March 2022 Exam

CAIA
#1

Hi everyone, I am thinking of taking the CAIA Level I exam in March ´22. I read on their websites that will be major changes on the curriculum.
I am thinking to study the 2 books they recommend in the Study Guide Sept 2021:

  • Standards of Practice Handbook, 11th edition, CFA Institute, 2014. ISBN 978-0-938367-85-7.
  • Alternative Investments: CAIA Level I, 4th edition, Wiley, 2020. ISBN 978-1-119-60414-3 (hardback);

I do have already the above books but where can I find the major changes as I could not find any updated book 2021 or 2022?

Thanks!

#2

Greetings friend!

The updated curriculum can be purchased for $125 dollars with all the updates here: Curriculum & Study Tools | CAIA Association

I honestly forget if the test registration fee includes this online curriculum already. If it does, then you should be good to go there hopefully. If not, then if you want to be 100% safe you can pay $125 for the “guaranteed” online version of the test cycle curriculum. The Association is saying there is a roughly 20% update in the curriculum since the 4th edition of the book. So I’d focus on getting that most recent version either online or in print format, whichever is cheapest, at the link I wrote above.

The 11th Edition of the CFA Institute’s Standards of Practice Handbook (2014) seems to be the most recent version. You should be all good there. Congratulations on entering the CAIA program, you will do great I am sure! If you have any CAIA questions feel free to message me, I am a charterholder and on the board of the forthcoming Rocky Mountain West Chapter for CAIA in the USA covering Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming and other surrounding states.

Cheers - good luck - you got this :+1:

#3

Hello,

Thank you very much for the answer, it was to the point and very helpful.

I´ve read the CAIA Candidate Handbook September 2021 and on the page 14 under the ´Security Procedures´ it states the following:

  • The test administrator will perform a digital security check using your fingerprint, signature, palm vein pattern, and/or photograph.

I´ve been through several exams but I´ve never been asked to give my fingerprint or palm vein pattern. I am concerned about this procedure as we do have strict regulations in place regarding the personal data.

Please, if you could let me know if this is the procedure applicable in the UK.

Thank you in advance.

#4

Greetings again! Are you taking the exam at a test center? Usually (at least in my experience) they ask for your passport but do not take your actual biometrics at test centers. I believe Pearson VUE is a test center for CAIA in the UK. Their London office contact details are here, you can call them and ask about this topic: https://www.pearsonvue.co.uk/

#5

Hello,

Thank you very much for the reply.

I will try to get in contact with Pearson VUE even though they are very slow in answering, it can take over a month to reply for any enquiry (experienced before with other exams I did).

Thank you very much again for all your help.

#6

If they take a month to answer, it possibly means you are emailing them instead of being proactive and calling to speak to a person about your question? If so then don’t be passive, take the initiative to get someone on the phone. Call their phone number and talk to them. For example: Locations // About Pearson VUE // Pearson VUE

Here is their main UK line that I found on that link above: +44 (0) 161 855 7000 you can call it on Monday during business hours and reach someone hopefully. By way of an update, I just called the US main line and got a person, unfortunately the person who handles CAIA in the USA only works Monday-Friday during business hours but I did receive “proof of life” at the main US corporate phone number that it’s not an automated message collecting system but an actual person giving answers/support. It should be the same at the UK number I provided above from my quick Google search. So you should be able to get the answer you need on Monday if you call them and pursue your question. The person I spoke to did mention that palm print scans are being used at Pearson VUE now for certain exam processes, but they couldn’t answer anything on CAIA (particularly in-center CAIA exam offerings) specifically, and they told me to call back on Monday. So I don’t know if this procedure is applicable to in-center CAIA exams or not, as of this weekend. But on Monday the person with precise answers on this point should be available to you by phone during business hours.

Also - if all else fails - you can either call CAIA directly during US business hours at +1 (413) 253 7373 or during Swiss business hours at +41 (0)22 347 45 90, or you can locally Google a Pearson VUE test center near your home and try either directly calling it or walking in to ask the person there working the front desk. All test centers will have the same protocol for taking ID for CAIA, so it doesn’t matter if you’re not actually taking the exam there in the future. You will get the answer you need. Cheers and good luck!

#7

Hello,

Thank you very much for all your help, I much apreciate it.

I do apologies that I did not mention in my previous comments above, at Pearson VUE centres can be taken different exams. I took other exams at their center and due to the Covid I need some clarifications and I tried to get it through the fastest method - phone. But it was not possible to speak with anyone even though I waited in the phone for a long time and at some point the call cut (this happened several times). After, I decided to email them hoping that maybe this service will be better but I got a reply back after a month.

In the last week of August I emailed member@caia.org regarding the requirements to take the exam (I expected to be asked for a proof of a University degree). The 4 lines answer I received, it was sending me to register for the exam and no requirements.

Before email anyone, I tried to make my own research as in the UK are many qualifications that we can take and I wanted to make sure it is the right one for me.

There are not so many informations about CAIA, and even if I went through all the books they provide in the website, I tried to contact CAIA and address a couple of questions I had left from my research.

This behaviour of being short in answers, not answering to the point or the phone line doesn’t work properly it is common in the UK. I prefer to have in writing any confirmation as often people change their statement depending on their interest even if it is a firm/company.

We just have to pay and for the question matter just get it somewhere else eventually.

As I said before my only concern is ´´fingerprint´´and ´´palm vein patters´´ taken by third parties to make a simple exam.

I looked into it and I could not find any updated information regarding this procedure for other exams in the UK, like CFA, FRM…

All the qualifications - licences - University exams require as proof of identity: passport, identity card and driver licence.

I will try to contact Pearson VUE tomorrow again, hopefully I will get an answer otherwise I will renounce, and go for other investment qualification.

Thank you very much again for taking your time to read my messages and trying to help.

I hope you are having a lovely Sunday.

1 Like
#8

I am sincerely sorry the UK phone isn’t responsive! Try calling the USA number during business hours for clarification. They will have someone on the phone, I reached someone over the weekend but unfortunately they don’t do CAIA and told me to call back on Monday.

If the palm print is a requirement at the end of the day, it seems to be a Pearson VUE requirement they are instilling, more than a CAIA requirement. Based on our conversations I Googled “Pearson VUE palm scan” and there are posts and comments about this going back a little ways, not for CAIA particularly but for other licensing exams. I don’t know if this is an international requirement or a localized one, but it seems like maybe Pearson is doing this to reduce the possibility of professional test takers - not for CAIA but for all their professional licensing exams particularly. I don’t know the full extent to this or whether negotiations can be made for avoiding this scan. When I took it in Frankfurt a few years ago, a passport was all I needed to show.

Try the USA phone number on Monday during US business hours and hopefully someone will be able to answer your questions. I think it may be possible that CAIA will also refer you to Pearson, as this seems to be a Pearson process and CAIA is just under it like other exams. If there is a way to opt out, it should be something Pearson is obligated to explain. When you call the US line, make sure to clarify that you are based in Europe and have privacy concerns. I hope you can get an answer soon!

Good luck and if they don’t respond on Monday by phone let me know!

#9

Hello,

Thank you for your reply.

I managed to get an answer from a PearsonVUE employee and confirmed that the identification for CAIA exam includes: fingerprint, palm vein pattern, photo taken at the center before getting into the exam, copy of the passport plus the original identification documents.

Pearson VUE does the verification depending on the exam type and CAIA required them.

I had this year exams with Pearson VUE, the last one being a month ago and I was asked only for Passport and Driving Licence and physical check.

Thank you very much for your help again!

1 Like
#10

Very interesting! Seems like things have changed. Did they confirm if there an opt-out process or no?

In any case, despite it not being the answer we hoped for, I am glad you at least got a timely response to your question. Cheers and good luck with the test👍

#11

Hello,

Thank you for the wishes.

There is no opt out option, if I want to take the exams I have to comply with all.

Have a lovely week!

1 Like
#12

Hello Everyone

I registered for CAIA level 1 and using UpperMark materials, the issue is I bought the e-book option but now am looking for the printed option too ( even if it means paying more…)

I emailed uppermark 6times and called 2times already- nothing…

Is anyone having the same issue with uppermark here?

Thank you